Take comfort Pen, at least your mind the gap incident happened while in a supermarket and people who don’t know you saw your melons, I was once having a serious meeting with my manager, but he just wouldn't look me in the eyes, I was talking to him and he was just gazing at the floor, he even answered some of my questions while looking down at the floor, I got really irritated and thought what the hell is he gazing at on the floor, and I looked down, eeeeek, I say eeeeeeekk shock shock horror horror, my blouse was completely undone !! I was sooo lucky I had a pashmina on me so I swiftly whisked it round my front and just went on discussing the serious matter, as if nothing happened, you should have seen the relief on my boss's face when I covered up :lol : when the meeting was finished I ran to the ladies done up my buttons and my buried head in my hands in embarrassment for a looooong time

Thanks for the fastener/Velcro idea, will try to do it, am not a sewing person, but I do love these silky blouses, btw you said that a sapphire coloured blouse is in this year...hmmmm I must admit I saw a gooooorgeouse sapphire silky blouse last week at the shops, it was really expensive though... but I sooooooo want to have it

Ok another question, I have another gorgeouse deep emirald green satin/silky blouse, it has such a bewitching rich green colour and lovely feel - I almost wish I am a red head every time I wear it because I'd off set it well... anyway, my question is, what do I wear it with, I wore it under a black suit , the black jacket just made it look duller and didn't offset it, I tried it with really expensive well tailored white trousers, again, the white made the green blouse look a cheap and again didn't offset it, I was surprised, because the same white trousers really offset my navy/midnight blue silky blouse, so was disappointed when it didn't do the same for my emirald green one.... I love the green blouse.. what do you think the best colour jacket/skirt/trousers I should wear with it ??

Man, I must be influenced by fashion more than I realize. So far I just got a new haircut that is sort of 1940s pinup style. I have natural curls and I cut to to just below shoulder length with layers so I can get the little pincurls and I actually use a rat sometimes on my hair in front when I really want a vintage look. I also just got this gorgeous sapphire blue nail polish which is TOTALLY unlike me. Usually I am far more conservative but I fell in love with this color http://www.amazon.com/OPI-Polish-RU...87772169&sr=8-2

I must have seen a similar color on a model in a magazine or something and it just stuck in my mind.

I tend to wear a lot of black because every time I wear colors my boyfriend gently reminds me that black is more figure flattering for me. I would like to wear more colors. I do find some really nice plus size clothing on ebay and its not too pricy. I suggest checking it out for an inexpensive wardrobe pick me up.

I am a shoe addict. I may not pay that much attention to what I wear because I am so fat everything just looks terrible and I tend to go with a frumpy look way too much but I do splurge on shoes because they make my legs look longer and leaner which makes me feel better (and taller!)

I have over 100 pairs of shoes (I have 3 shoe trees that hold 30 each and the rest are on the floor until I get a fourth shoe tree)

Good shoes really are comfortable with a heel. I adore pointy toed anything even though I wear an 8.5 - 9 I still love the look. I love boots but since I have 20 inch calves it can be a little difficult to find boots that fit well. I finally started buying whatever boots I wanted and just going to a cobbler and he can either stretch them or put a gusset in so the boots will fit my calves. I actually know I am losing weight because one of my favorite boots (charles david crafty) had a gusset put in and now is getting to be a little loose on me when I wear it. Totally worth it though.

Also, great deals can be found on shoes. I like to browse around on Amazon and find great deals on shoes that I like and then try to price match them at zappos or endless etc. That way I get an even better deal on the shoes.

BTW: Thanks Pennink for starting such a great thread with great pointers!

This is becoming one of my favorite threads.

Penni - what's your take on skinny jeans for fall? I have one pair (very dark wash) that I just adore! I wear them tucked into boots (for fall), or with ballet slippers and/or heels. Are they 'in' again this fall?

OMG. I love clothes. And I know when I hit goal I am going to love them even more. I didnt think I could possibly shop more than I do, but obviously it's only going to get worse

Leslie, I dont like skinny jeans, except for tucking into boots. I am a flare or wide leg girl (with cute skinny heels) all the way, even though I'm short and the thinking is skinny jeans would elongate me.

The thing I love most about fashion is every style comes back "in" eventually, and if it looks good on you, it's always a go, no matter what the current trends are.

k, Citrus: you moved along faster than I could answer, but ballet slippers come in high end leather (I wear the ALL the time) to 6 dollar fabric ones at accessory stores. You can get them in metallic (silver is big for fall, btw) and they go great with jeans. I like the simple black ones with capris (think Mary Tyler Moore in The Dick Van Dyke show). I'm in my mid 40s and they look so much better than crocs, flip flops, or sneakers! You always look polished with a little shoe. Round toe is the cutest, but if you want to elongate your leg, a pointed end is nice too.

Pointy shoes... I'd go for a slight pump. I don't like the really really pointy ones, but if you don't like them you can go for a more round toe although it's something more suited to younger women. The lace up spat look (high heeled) is pretty cool this fall season. I'd wear them with a pair of pants, a white shirt left out and a vest. Vests are REALLY in this year. You could even wear the school boy look and have a tie loosely around the collar... not tight... Annie Hall. The pants are also a bit looser for this look.

and Citrus, yeah, I'm a triangle. My butt is in the plus store my tops are in the fun ones. Sigh.

Sandy: Emerald green silk is the BEST with red hair. I used to be a redhead and it was my one blouse that really garnered the compliments. Try one of the new high-waisted skirts, in a textured or lovely fabric with a teeny belt on the skirt. Very 40s and classic. Suits with the blouse work well, too as they often look too severe and the green will pop. Slouchy, pleated high-waisted pants would look great with these too.

Note on nails: the look now is natural, not fake nails. Cut to be roundish, just a bit of white showing and buffed, not coated with goo. Also a really simple pink or beige-y pink for professionals is best.Depending on where you work, you might want to save the blue nail polish for your toes. And never match your toenails to your fingernails.


Skinny jeans: gotta be tall and thin to pull these off well. They are really hot right now as are wide legged jeans too! (thankfully). The key is to wear them so they don't make your body look like it goes from wide to a point (like you're teetering on your pins) If you're straight up and down, then they're fine. Tucking them into boots looks fine if you're under 35, but over that and you look like you're waiting for a John. Really. Also, unless you're in your 20s and thin as a rail (or teens) no wedge boots with this look. crepe soled boots add pounds to the look.

Black is so slimming but dull. Pop it with jewellery, scarves, lovely shoes and lipstick. I actually love seeing a well-dressed goth look. But note the over the top lips and eyes. Very cool and striking (of course, not for work, but I like to look at it)

I also thought about collars today. Giving a bit of 'lift' to your collar (no not like Elvis's) makes an older neck look softer and you look sophisticated. If your fabric can be starched, iron it with starch, open so you can mould it into a face framing look. I have one that's a bit too floppy, so I sewed some interfacing into the inside of the collar and that worked. Really tricky if you can't sew, might not be a good venture.

Diemde: What are you going to be doing in Chicago? professional? evening out? tourist? An amazing look is the jean, blouse (untucked) with a very well pressed and folded sweater over the shoulders and loosely tied, great sunglasses (the larger ones), gold jewelery. You can fold up the sleeves of this shirt and could show off a big bangle bracelet (easy on the size of the necklace if you do that). This would be a good tourist/shopping look. And get an large bag, something funky.
Suits can look stodgy. Break them up. Buy a really lovely rust-coloured jacket to team up with some earth tones (i've seen your pics). This can go with chocolate trousers and some ankle boots. Pagminas over blouses and jackets will make you look rich and important. These come in every colour known to man and can give you the bright glow you might need. Don't worry about being 50. Just don't dress like you're 20 and you'll be great.
Hair... I think a great and easy cut on you would be parted on the side, shortish, but long enough in the back to flip it out. It will lift your face without surgery! And if you can, invest in some new, cool glasses. You will ROCK!

so in, but gotta be skinny and tall. I think you could totally pull them off.

I got the tall part down...still working on the skinny

With this thread, I might not have an excuse to dress like a bum anymore!

wow! so cool.

I know, I see all these neat outfits and instead of thinking, 'as if' I think "soon"

can i just add something here? pointy toes does not always automatically mean 3" or 4" heels. i've seen tons of great shoes with the little tiny cute kitten heel, a low, broad, straight heel, or my all-time favorite, the louis XIV heel. if high-waisted jeans and lace-up spat boots are coming back, then the victorian boot can't be far behind. i LOVE those things.


now wait a minute... i worked hard to get these to match, and i think i did a DAMNED good job, too . (click on the pictures to make them bigger.)

Oh man, this thread just cost me some major money! Been reading it all morning and decided I just HAD TO HAVE a pair of those cute leather ballet slippers! Got a pair of black round toe and they are adorable! Of course, I went to Shoe Carnival and they are having the buy-one-get-one-half-off, so had to get another pair of shoes....after all, who can resist that kind of bargain! Anyway, can't wait to wear my ballet slippers with a pair of jeans tomorrow...they look sooooo comfy & cute!!!
Trisha

That is hilarious!!!!!!!! sorry if I caused a shopping craving! At least it's low carb!

I don't really like kitten heels, but that's just me. I like the way a three incher makes my legs look a little less elephantine.

Oh, say it isn't so. I like my skorts. They are longer though, not thigh level, just above the knee. That's okay, isn't it?

probably! work no, but around the house sounds good.

I have started even making sure I'm really turned out when I go to a Mall... I run into people all the time when I'm out and want to look good even then! Oh, such a diva.

[QUOTE=pennink]That is hilarious!!!!!!!! sorry if I caused a shopping craving! At least it's low carb!

WHAT? Are you crazy??? Any excuse to buy a new pair of shoes is a good excuse!!! Fits right in with my shoe/purse fettish! I should be thanking you, woman!!

I can't wait to go shoe shopping now! It's the perfect thing when you're in that in-between phase and don't want to spend money on clothes that might not fit in a few month's time.

Funny, I should read now about not buying a tailored blouse at this time in my life - I bought quite a few of those in the past couple of years, because I thought they were slimming. I still love them, it's just that they are the first things to look 'too big' when you lose a few pounds. There's no getting around a now-boxy looking blouse. I'm going to look for softer materials, something with a bit of give - like what you were saying about maybe a 'wrap' type top or something. With a tailored blouse, if you lose five pounds, it just doesn't look right. I've shied away from jersey type knits, out of a desire to hide lumps and bumps and rolls of fat - figuring they were just not going to be very flattering.

I could be wrong - I'll perhaps try something like this next time I decide to buy some clothes. Every single shirt I've bought in the past year or so is now too big. Because it's summer - I've been ok with it, buying t-shirt type casual tops. Once the weather cools though, all I'm going to have are t-shirts!

That's pretty bad eh? Well, I think it's just from frustration with not knowing what things will work while losing the weight - this thread is excellent for that. Lots of great ideas.

And like I said - in the meantime - shoes